Late Birmingham Civil Rights Legend ‘Wash’ Booker Gets Prestigious Honor

By Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times

On July 7, Washington “Wash” Booker III will have his name placed on the Wall of Honor in the 17^th Street Mini Park in downtown Birmingham for his contributions during the Civil Rights Movement.

“He was fearless, he was not afraid,” said Paulette Roby, chair of the Civil Rights Activist Committee (CRAC), which will honor Booker along with the Birmingham chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Booker, who died January 20, 2016 after suffering from pneumonia, became a foot soldier for the movement at 14, while attending Ullman High School.

He attended mass meetings but initially was not interested in protests. It wasn’t until he saw children being abused by police that motivated him to participate in the protests.

“He asked me to go with him to the protest that day and I told him I couldn’t because my mother said not to leave school and go down there,” Roby said. “Well, Booker wouldn’t take no for an answer, so he threw a firecracker in the class and I went that day.”

Booker attended the Children’s March each day, marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Ralph Abernathy and Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and was jailed.

Booker joined the Marine Corps in 1968 and fought in the Vietnam War and once returning to Birmingham continued his work for the Civil Rights movement as well as his community, especially Loveman Village, Roby said.

He would help kids stay off the streets and get them back in school and he would also do anything for anyone who needed it whether it was buying groceries or giving them a ride to work.

“He was just that kind of person,” Roby says. “Anything you need, he would do it.”

In June 2014, Booker became co-chair for the Civil Rights Activist Committee with Roby. As co-chair, he spoke at community events about his time as a foot soldier for the movement and continued his long stance for political activism.

The unveiling will be held at the 17^th Street Mini Park at 10 a.m. While the unveiling is not in conjunction with the 50^th year reunion of the Ullman High School Class of 1967, the itinerary for the 50^th reunion does include the dedication for Booker and doves will be released in honor of Booker and other deceased members of the class.